Helping sick or injured wildlife

Redlands 24-hour Wildlife Rescue Service

Redlands 24-hour Wildlife Rescue Service is a community volunteer program that responds to calls regarding sick, injured and orphaned wildlife on Redlands Coast. 

Managed by Redland City Council, the service runs 24-hours a day every day of the year. 

Call (07) 3833 4031 to report a sick or injured wildlife – 24 hours a day service.

What can you expect when you call

Our friendly, passionate volunteers will help by:

• attending to the rescue of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife
• providing advice to you about how you can help the sick, injured or orphaned wildlife you are concerned about
• transporting the injured animal to a veterinary clinic or organising for it to go to a suitable wildlife carer
• sharing their knowledge and raising awareness about wildlife movement and behaviour on Redlands Coast
• if needed, referring you to another organisation that can best assist.

Volunteering

The volunteer program is split into two services:

• Redlands Wildlife Care Network (8.00am–5.00pm)
• Redlands After-hours Wildlife Ambulance (5.00pm–8.00am)

Help our local wildlife and volunteer for Redlands Wildlife Rescue.

Before you rescue an animal

It is important to remember that wildlife are exactly that, wild. Although some animals adapt to living near humans and may appear tame, they can still behave aggressively if they feel threatened. 

If you attempt a rescue, remember – your safety comes first. Do not endanger yourself or others.

Do not attempt to rescue snakes, koalas, wallabies, and flying foxes. These species require specialist skills and personal protective equipment for safe handling – wait for help to arrive.

Other important tips:

• Assess the situation for danger before you attempt a rescue.
• To minimise stress, avoid handling the animal more than necessary  - a washing basket or box can be placed over the animal to contain them.
• If you are able, you can transport the animal to your nearest vet and provide them with your name, contact details and the location where the animal was found.
• If you are waiting for help to arrive, keep the animal in a warm, dark, quiet place away from people and pets and do not offer food or water.

Found a baby bird?

Learning to fly, or fledging, can be a challenging process for baby birds. The skill takes a while to master, and fledglings spend plenty of time on the runway regaining their strength and preparing for another takeoff attempt.

Although it can be concerning to see fledgling birds on the ground, they are often being closely supervised by their parents from a nearby tree and simply need more practice to successfully take to the skies. 

How to tell a baby bird needs help

To determine whether a baby bird on the ground needs your help, check for feathers. If the bird is only covered in down or has no feathers at all, or appears injured, it needs immediate veterinary attention. Call the Redlands Wildlife Rescue Service on 3833 4031 for help.

If the bird has flight feathers and is bright, vocal and able to flutter to the ground when encouraged to fly, it is a fledgling and will have a better outcome if it can be reunited with it’s parents. Place the fledgling on a low branch, move away, and wait to see if the parents arrive.

If the parents don’t seem to be around, follow the RSPCA guideline and create a substitute nest to keep the fledgling safe. If the parents don’t visit your substitute nest within an hour, call the Redlands Wildlife Rescue Service on 3833 4031 for help.

Reporting wildlife concerns

Native animals are protected under legislation. If you are concerned about the welfare of native wildlife, you can report your concerns to the Department of Environment and Science or the RSPCA. Wildlife crimes can also be reported to Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000. It can be helpful to collect photographic evidence of your concerns if it is safe to do so.